Tag Archives: Food

The Kitchens are in a Pickle

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This post is really little more than a comedy of errors. I had another recipe in mind for today but that was before forces beyond my control intervened. You see, I was at the farmers market, minding my own business when I came upon the radishes, French breakfast radishes, no less. So, I bought them. Never mind that I was already lugging around a full shopping bag. Exiting the vendor’s stall, I literally bumped into the beets display. WIth my shirt now sporting a mixture of mud and beet juice, I thought it a sign and bought a bunch of large red beets. On the way out of the market, I bought a few more things, filling a 2nd bag, and headed for home.

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Once home, I unpacked my bounty, dreaming of following Roger’s suggestion for buttery radishes and re-creating Mom’s beet salad. And that’s when it hit me. I’d be leaving for Michigan in a few days. I should be subtracting from my refrigerator’s shelves, not adding to them. WIth no possible way to clear my fridge before I was to leave, Plan B was put into effect: food preservation. I’d freeze some and the rest? Well, that’s how today’s pickling post was born and first up were the radishes.

Googling pickled radish recipes, I came upon one from David Lebovitz and looked no further. I’ve had very good luck with his recipes. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any white vinegar — this was a spur of the moment pickle, after all — so I married what I had until I reached the required amount. The radishes turned out great and, subsequently having earned Zia’s seal of approval, I see no reason to change things. The “married” amounts are the ones listed in the recipe’s ingredients.

Next were the beets. I didn’t have my own recipe, so, I again I turned to google. After checking a number of them out, I decided to wing it. The recipe below is the result. There’s one critical error, however. I had intended to use these beets in a salad but I included whole cloves in jars of red shoestring beets. How could anyone find those cloves when it’s time to serve the beets? With 2 jars already filled, I had little choice but to continue with the recipe, adding whole cloves to the remaining jars, watching them disappear into the beets. Since I had promised beets to some friends, I knew I would have to make more. These wouldn’t do.

The Saturday following my return from Michigan, I once again returned to the farmers market and bought 2 bunches of beets. This time I bought Chioggia beets, an Italian variety of heirloom beets with alternating red & white rings when cut. There was no way any cloves could hide among these beauties. Still, I wasn’t going to take any chances. These beets would be sliced rather than shredded. While the beets were roasting, I surfed the web looking at pickling recipes. I stumbled upon a USDA site and their recipe for pickled beets. With some changes, that’s the recipe I used and have shared below.

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Shoestring Beets

Pickled Red “Shoestring” Beets Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch (4 or 5) large red beets, washed and greens removed
  • olive oil
  • 1 cup (235 ml) cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water (237 ml)
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, halved
  • 3 whole cloves per jar

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚ (205˚ C).
  2. Place washed beets on a foil line baking sheet, cover lightly with olive oil, and use another sheet  of foil to enclose the baking sheet and beets.
  3. Place beets in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife can be inserted into a beet with little resistance.
  4. Uncover the beets and set aside until cool enough to handle.
  5. Beet skins should peel off, though a paring knife may be needed for some spots.
  6. Using a food processor with blade inserted, shred the beets created “shoestrings.”
  7. Meanwhile, add vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a small sauce pan and heat until both are dissolved. Keep hot though not boiling.
  8. Using 4, sanitized pint-sized jars, add 1 clove and 1/2 stick of cinnamon to each. Add some beets, another clove, enough beets to fill, and one more clove. Add enough of the hot pickling liquid to fill each jar to within 1/2 inch of the jar’s top.
  9. Seal each jar until “finger tight” and process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, Remove from water and set, undisturbed, on a kitchen towel covered baking sheet in a draft-free spot. Jars may be moved after 24 hours.

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“Quick Pickle” Radishes Recipe

Ingredients

  • 9 oz (260 g) radishes, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced thin.  Peel where needed.
  • 2 oz (60 g) red onion, sliced thin
  • 1 1/3 cup (316 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 2/3 cup (157 ml) cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water (237 ml)
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, cut in half
  • 24 green peppercorns, divided
  • 24 red peppercorns, divided

Directions

  1. Add vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a small sauce pan and heat until both are dissolved. Set aside to cool.
  2. Using 4, sanitized, pint-sized jars, add 1/2 garlic clove and 6 of each, red and green peppercorns.
  3. Divide the onion and radishes evenly among the jars.
  4. Once cooled, pour enough pickling liquid to fill each jar within 1/2 inch of the top. Seal each jar with a sterile lid and refrigerate.

Inspired by David Lebovitz

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Chioggia Beets

Pickled Sliced Chioggia Beets Recipe


Ingredients

  • 2 bunches (9 or 10) medium Chioggia beets, washed and greens removed
  • olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  • 4 cups (950 ml) cider vinegar
  • 2 cup water (475 ml)
  • 2 cups (400 g) sugar
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 10 whole cloves

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚ (205˚ C).
  2. Place washed beets on a foil line baking sheet, cover lightly with olive oil, and use another sheet  of foil to enclose the baking sheet and beets.
  3. Place beets in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife can be inserted into a beet with little resistance.
  4. Uncover the beets and set aside until cool enough to handle.
  5. Beet skins should peel off, though a paring knife may be needed for some spots.
  6. Slice the beets as thin as you prefer.
  7. Meanwhile, place cinnamon sticks and cloves into a small pouch or piece of cheese cloth and tie to secure.
  8. Place vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and spice bag into a sauce pan and bring to the boil.
  9. Add sliced beets and onion, simmering for 5 minutes.
  10. Remove the spice bag and fill each jar with enough beets, onion, and pickling liquid to within 1/2 inch of the top.
  11. Seal each jar until “finger tight” and process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, Remove from water and set, undisturbed, on a kitchen towel covered baking sheet in a draft-free spot. Jars may be moved after 24 hours.

Inspired by National Center for Home Food Preservation

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Notes

The radishes should sit in the refrigerator for a few days before use and they will last about 3 to 4 weeks if kept in the fridge. Both beet pickles are processed and will last for months on a cool, dark shelf. If you like, you can skip the boiling water bath, put a sterile lid on each jar, and refrigerate them. They, too, will last about 3 to 4 weeks this way.

Although I used French breakfast radishes for this post, I’ll use the more common, globe-shaped radishes for future pickles. They’ll produce larger slices, which I prefer.

You needn’t roast the beets before pickling. Many recipes suggest boiling the beets for 20 to 30 minutes before peeling and continuing with the pickling.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Giardiniera-topped Mount Burger

Giardiniera-topped Mount Burger

It’s Summer and people are googling season-appropriate recipes. Pesto was hot but now my giardiniera recipe has caught the internet’s eye. It’s probably because the ingredients are all readily available now, as are reasons for having a jar on-hand. It is barbecue & picnic season, after all, and neither can be a success without a jar of giardiniera handy. You can find out what so many others are googling by simply clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Risotto Preview

Risotto

Let’s try this again, shall we?

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Salted Cod Salad

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Insalata del Baccalà For some, the timing of today’s post may seem rather odd. A salted cod salad is very often served in Italian households as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve — but not in our house. We Bartolini prepared this salad virtually any time throughout the year except during the holidays. On Christmas Eve, we served our salted cod stewed in tomato sauce, baccalà in umido. Frankly, I prefer it this way, with a stew served in Winter and a salad served in the warmer months.

This is the third recipe I’ve shared that features salted cod. The first, Baccalà alla Marchigiana, is the stew that we served on Christmas Eve. In the second post, the cod was barbecued, although the same preparation could be used to bake the fish. Today’s recipe is a salad and a snap to make, once you’ve re-hydrated and rinsed the cod.

Briefly, in the days long before refrigeration, cod was dried and salted as a means of preservation. To make it suitable for cooking, the cod must be soaked in cold water for at least one day and no more than three. During that time, the water should be changed three times daily. The longer the soak, the less salty the taste. It is up to you to decide what level of salinity is acceptable.

With the cod re-hydrated, the dish, like most green salads, is really quite simple to prepare. Though the ingredients may have varied from one salad to the next, we always dressed our salad with a bit of red wine vinegar and olive oil. You, like many, may prefer to use lemon juice in place of the vinegar. Even so, with absolutely no cooking involved, you can easily see how this salad would make a perfect meal during Summer’s dog days.

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Salted Cod Salad Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1lb (455 g) of baccalà (See Variations)
  • pickled bell peppers, chopped (See Notes)
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • red onion chopped
  • nonpareil capers, rinsed
  • Kalamata olives, halved
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • red wine vinegar — lemon juice may be substituted
  • salt & pepper, to taste

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Bathing Beauties
Chunkified and cooked
Ripped to shreds
All the fixins
Tossed and Ready

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Directions

  1. To ready the baccalà: Place the fish in an oblong glass dish or pan. Add enough water to cover, dump the water, and repeat a few times. Add enough water to cover and set aside. Change the water 3 times daily for at least 1 day and no more than 3. When ready, the cod will be considerably thicker than when your started and will taste far less salty. (See Notes)
  2. Remove any bones and skin before proceeding,
  3. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
  4. Meanwhile, cut the re-hydrated baccalà into chunks from 3 to 4 inches apiece.
  5. When the water is boiling hard, add the baccalà and, when the water returns to the boil, reduce the heat to a soft simmer.
  6. Simmer until the baccalà can be easily flaked, usually about 5 to 8 minutes.
  7. Using a slotted spoon or small strainer, remove the baccalà from the water and set aside.
  8. Once cool, carefully flake baccalà and place in another bowl.
  9. To that bowl, add the peppers, celery, onion, capers, olives, and parsley. Gently toss the ingredients until combined.
  10. Add enough of the olive oil to lightly coat the salad, followed by the vinegar/lemon juice to taste. Season with pepper but be sure to taste before adding any salt.
  11. If not to be served immediately, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to do so.

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Variations

This recipe used raw salted cod, baccalà, to make the salad. The salad could also be made using left-over baked, broiled, or grilled baccalà, as well. When using left-over cod, there’s no need to boil or cut it up into chunks. Skip those steps and start flaking the pieces.

You can vary the salad ingredients to suit your own tastes. Carrots, shallots, garlic, etc., can be added or used to substitute for any of the ingredients listed.

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Notes

You’ll note that I used bell peppers twice in this recipe. The first were miniatures, “Tulip Bells”, that I pickled last August. They added color and a vinegar element. The yellow bell was added for both color and crunch. Neither pepper brings any heat to the salad. If you like, you can add cherry bomb peppers, jalapeños, or Serranos, raw or pickled, to kick up the heat.

One sure way to know whether the baccalà is ready to be cooked is to taste a very small piece of it, once it seems fully hydrated. If it is still too salty, keep soaking the fish until it reaches the level of salinity that you prefer, bearing in mind that it will be boiled once it passes your inspection.

Do not add any salt to the dish until the very end.

This salad will keep for 2 days if refrigerated, though we’ve rarely had left-overs.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Today’s post featured a recipe tailor-made for Summer’s hottest days, when we’re all loathe to turn on the stove. The same can be said for today’s blast from the past. Two years ago I shared a recipe for a couscous salad that requires not one bit of cooking. Just put the ingredients in a bowl, give them a toss, and set your salad in the fridge while you sip Long Island iced tea on the patio. A few hours later you’ll have a tasty salad for lunch or dinner without ever touching a pot or pan. You can see how it’s prepared by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Pickles

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Fried Zucchini Blossoms

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Fiori Fritti dello Zucchini

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For a number of years now, it seems that every cook and chef on television has demonstrated the fine art of stuffing zucchini/squash blossoms before being fried. This was not something we ever tried at the two-flat. First of all, Grandpa would never plant something in his garden that would take up so much space. Tomatoes were his main interest and a plant that sprawled, no matter what kind, just wasn’t welcome. More importantly, even if he found a suitable spot for, say, zucchini, picking the blossoms would not have been acceptable to him in the slightest. He planted zucchini and anything that would lessen the crop would not have been allowed. So, without the crutch of a family recipe, I headed into new territory when I bought my first bunch of zucchini blossoms late last Summer.

Those first blossoms proved to be a disaster. They were an impulse buy and I’d no idea how to store them, so, I treated them like I would cut flowers. I awoke the next morning to find a wilted mess in a glass of water. That was the last I saw of blossoms until a few weeks ago, when I came across some at the farmers market. With my car in the shop, they survived the trip home in surprisingly good shape. Problems arose, however, when it came to creating a stuffing. Not wishing to test the CTA’s reliability a 2nd time that day, I raided the fridge, finding fresh mozzarella and fontinella cheeses. A quick trip to the corner store and I returned with a 1/2 gallon of whole milk that was used to make ricotta. These three cheeses were used to prepare the stuffing used in today’s recipe.

With the stuffing decided, I set about creating a batter to coat them. I tried a number of versions, over the course of 3 Saturdays, finally settling on a batter of flour, corn starch, cornmeal, and club soda. This batter was, by far, the best, resulting in blossoms that were crispy without being buried in batter.

I also continued to experiment with fillings. My favorite consisted of mozzarella and anchovies. Unfortunately, my photos from that batch were a mess, though I did post the “best” one later in this post.

There is one more thing worth mentioning. Be sure to open each blossom and check to see if there are any stow-aways. Although any one of a number of insects might be found lurking in there, I’m more concerned with creatures of the eight-legged variety. Although I’ve yet to come across one, I check the blossoms over the sink with the garbage disposal running. Just sayin’ …

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I’ll be leaving for Michigan and the Kitchens will be closed as a result. It’s time for a little R&R on the beach with Max. See you in 2 weeks.

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Che Bei Fiori!

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Fried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe

Ingredients

  • 12 fresh zucchini/squash blossoms
  • 2 oz (56 g) mozzarella, grated
  • 2 oz (56 g) fontinella, grated
  • 4 oz (113 g) whole milk ricotta, well-drained
  • 1/2 cup AP flour
  • 1/4 cup corn starch/flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • club soda
  • salt & pepper
  • oil for frying

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Fontinella, Ricotta, & Mozzarella Cheeses

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Directions

  1. Using tweezers, remove stamen and gently wash each blossom. Carefully blot each one dry. Remove the stems just beneath the blossom.
  2. Place a coffee filter into a strainer and add ricotta. Allow to drain a couple of hours. Discard the liquid (whey) and reserve the ricotta.
  3. Coarsely grate mozzarella and fontinella cheeses. (See Notes)
  4. Combine ricotta, mozzarella, and fontinella cheeses. Mix well.
  5. Add flour, corn starch, salt & pepper into a bowl and whisk to combine.
  6. Add enough club soda to make a batter.
  7. Place the cheese mixture  into a pastry bag or plastic storage bag. If using the latter, cut off one of the bag’s bottom corners and force the cheese into that part of the bag.
  8. Grab hold of a blossom in one hand and gently separate the petals to reveal a “pocket”. Gently blowing into the blossom may help open it up.
  9. Place the tip of the cheese-filled pasty/plastic bag into the pocket and squeeze some of the cheese into the blossom. Do not overfill nor allow the blossom to split. Continue until all are stuffed.
  10. Fill a medium-sized sauce pan with about 2 inches (5 cm) of oil. Heat to about 350˚. You’ll know it is hot enough if a bit of batter instantly begins to fry when dropped into the hot oil.
  11. Take one blossom and twist the petal ends to seal the cheese inside. Grabbing hold of the twisted petal ends, dip the blossom into the batter to cover. Drain excess batter and then place in the hot oil. Continue with more blossoms. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
  12. When golden brown (2 to 4 minutes), flip each blossom. Fry for another 2 minutes
  13. Remove to a paper towel lined dish and season with salt.
  14. Serve immediately

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Variations

Though stuffed blossoms are wonderful when fried, you really don’t need to stuff them with anything before frying. Just dip them in the batter and fry them. You’ll get a light, crispy treat without the hassle of trying to fill blossoms with cheese.

Mozzarella & Anchovy  Zucchini Blossom

You can stuff the blossoms with whatever you like. Any cheese or mixture of cheeses will work. I chose a combination of 3 cheese for this post. My favorites, though were blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and an anchovy. Simply prepare the blossom as indicated above, cut a stick of mozzarella, wrap it with an anchovy, insert both into the blossom before dredging and frying. Unfortunately, the photo on the right is the best of those I took that afternoon.

There are several ways to coat your blossoms. Some prefer to use eggs in their batter while others “go it alone” with just a coating of flour. Some use breadcrumbs to form a coating and others like only flour. I like a thinner batter, so, I use a little club soda poured into a mixture of 1 part each of corn meal and corn starch/flour for every 2 parts AP flour. When mixed, I prefer a batter that’s a little thicker than buttermilk but not quite as thick as pancake batter.

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Notes

I’ve yet to discover a good way to store blossoms. I was told to treat them like freshly cut flowers and that didn’t work. I’ve since searched the web and it’s suggested that the blossoms be tightly sealed and refrigerated. (One of the vendors expressly stated not to refrigerate them.) I’ve yet to try this for when I returned last weekend for more blossoms, none were to be found — hence the blurry photo above.

By far, the easiest way to stuff a blossom is to use a pastry or plastic bag, tip inserted into the blossom. If and when I find more blossoms, I think I’ll try the 3 cheeses again, only doubling the amount of mozzarella and fontinella before adding chopped anchovies to the mixture. Yes, I do love my anchovies!

Whenever soft cheeses like mozzarella need to be grated, it’s easiest if your place the cheese in the freezer for about 30 minutes beforehand. This should harden the cheese a bit, making grating a snap.

Initially, I tried a shallow fry, using about a half-inch of oil in the pan. I did not like the results at all. The lack of oil meant the blossoms had to be “handled” more so that they could be flipped and evenly fried. This raised the risk of damaged blossoms and leaking cheese. Using about 2 inches (5 cm) of oil made frying so much easier and consequently no blossoms were harmed in the making of this tasty treat.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

For many, a meal isn’t complete until coffee and an after-dinner liqueur are served. If that meal is served during the Summer, a dish of ice cream is very often part of the equation. With an eye towards reducing the average dishwasher’s workload, the Italians took these 3 traditions and united them in one simple dessert, affogato al caffè. Often served in a cup, affogato is a combination of ice cream and espresso, with an optional shot of your favorite liqueur. I think you’ll agree that an affogato is a wonderful way to end a meal — without having to loosen your belt afterward. You can see directions for creating a variety of affogati by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Baccalà Salad

Baccalà Salad

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Grilled Rack of Spring Lamb

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Carré di Abbacchio alla Griglia

As a boy, I was aware that Mom was a good cook. I’d been to enough of my friends’ homes for dinner to know that few shared Mom’s skill in the kitchen. Judging by their response, my friends came to the same conclusion when they stayed for dinner at our home. In fact, a Mom called mine one evening asking how she prepared spinach. To her surprise, upon returning home after dinner with us, my friend couldn’t stop raving about the spinach, something he refused to eat at his own home. Apparently, she had only served her family canned spinach. Over the phone, Mom gave her instructions for sautéing fresh spinach in garlic-flavored olive oil. Decades before Jamie Oliver, Mom was changing how America ate, one dinner table at a time. Incidentally, to this day, I’ve never eaten canned spinach, no matter what Popeye said or did.

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Knowing that Mom was a good cook was one thing, realizing the authenticity of her cooking was something else. During my first trip to Florence, I followed a tour book’s suggestion and dined at a family owned restaurant. Just as the book described, we were greeted by the owner/chef, taken to our table, and then he disappeared, returning a few minutes later with menus and a list of the specials. In the kitchen, just as the book stated, Mamma could be seen helping to get the orders out to the diners. I followed our host’s suggestion and ordered lamb chops. A few minutes later, I glanced into the kitchen and there was Mamma, just beyond the restaurant’s back door, grilling my chops. When I was served, I was surprised to learn that they tasted exactly — not similarly but exactly — as if my own Mom had prepared them. That was the day I realized just how authentically Italian Mom and Zia cooked. That was quite a souvenir to bring back home.

Although a recipe is listed below, today’s post is more about the method used than anything else. This was how all of our chops and steaks were prepared, no matter who manned the barbecue. This is not an exact science nor will it ever be. The only difference in method when cooking the various meats is that a little lemon juice might be added when cooking lamb. Otherwise, a simple combination of olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper are used to marinate the meats. It really is that simple but don’t take my word for it. Karen has shared her own flavorful version of this simple recipe for grilled lamb in her wonderful blog, Back Road Journal.

As for today’s lamb, a couple of days after Easter, I was pleasantly surprised to see 2 small racks (a 3 rib & a 4 rib) of Spring lamb in the meat display. I asked the butcher about them and learned that they have been trimmed to  fulfill special orders for the holiday. I bought them — at half price! — and stored them in the freezer, bringing them with me when I last visited Michigan. Believe me, after every future holiday I will be sure to check every meat counter within reason, looking for a similar deal.

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Grilled Rack of Spring Lamb Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 portions of Spring rack of lamb, 7 ribs in total, french cut
  • 1 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • rosemary, roughly chopped
  • olive oil
  • 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
  • salt and pepper
  • parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1.  A couple of hours before you are to roast the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and place on a pie plate or similar dish.
  2. Season with garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper before sprinkling with optional lemon juice and enough olive oil to lightly coat everything. The lamb is already dead. No need to drown it in oil.
  3. Set aside to marinate until you’re ready to cook. If your kitchen is warm, place the rack in the fridge until 30 minutes before you intend to cook it.
  4. Pre-heat your barbecue on high. Wrap the chop tips with aluminum foil, something I forgot to do.
  5. Place the rack directly over the heat and sear the meat for a couple of minutes before moving it to an area on the grill away from the heat.
  6. Using an instant read thermometer, we pulled the racks off of the grill when the temperature reached 120˚ F (49 C).
  7. While the racks rested, covered, I grilled the asparagus while Zia dressed the salad.
  8. The racks were served, garnished with a bit of parsley (optional).

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Notes

The olive oil marinade is not one that is left on the meat overnight. At most, the meat was left to marinate for 3 hours, with 1 to 2 hours the norm.

As you can see in the photo, the rosemary wasn’t chopped before being used.  Most, if not all, will be lost during grilling. The same is true for the garlic, so, don’t be overly concerned with chopping/dicing everything evenly.

The racks could just as easily be broiled if a barbecue or grill pan is not available. As always, do not forget about them lest your return to find Spring rack of lamb flambé.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Cherries JammedI mentioned last week that tart cherries are now in season. In my opinion, these cherries make the best pies, muffins, and jams. Yes, it can be a bit tedious pitting the little red devils but the end result certainly makes it all worthwhile. If you’re interested, you can see my recipe for making this delicious jam by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Fried Zucchini Blossoms 

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Farmers Market Pasta

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Pasta Primavera

It happens every Spring. After having spent the Winter avoiding most fresh vegetables because they’ve seemingly spent more time in transit than in some distant fields, the farmers markets open and I can barely contain myself. I go with a general idea of what I’d like to buy and return home with two bags full of produce and a loaf of bread. As I unpack Saturday’s harvest, I begin to plan my meals.

In the past, I’ve commented on a couple of blogs that I’m amazed at how we all could look at the same ingredients and “see” different dishes. Nazneen, for example, could take these ingredients and have no trouble creating a tasty pullao. BAM, on the other hand, could easily prepare a flavorful GF stir fry. Then, of course, there’s Katherine and Greg. Heaven only knows the dish they’d create but I guarantee it would be delicious and I wouldn’t be the only one to bookmark the recipe. Me? Every week I break out the flour and start making pasta. The only question in my mind is what vegetables to use for which pasta. And when all is said and done, on Thursday or Friday night, I use leftovers and whatever vegetables remain to make a fresh egg frittata. Come Saturday, with a newly cleaned-out refrigerator, I head back to the market and start the process all over again. Today’s recipe is one of these farmers market pastas.

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Primavera is the Italian word for Spring. Pasta Primavera is a dish that celebrates the freshest of ingredients. It is a true marriage of flavors, with no single taste dominating  the rest. To dress the pasta, the “sauce” can be cream-based, oil or butter-based, and even include tomatoes. In short, a pasta primavera can be whatever you would like it to be, so long as the ingredients are fresh.

For today’s recipe, I rendered some guanciale and used the resulting fat as the base of my sauce. Since I was adding scapes, there was no need for garlic but I did add a couple dried red peperoncini to add some heat to the dish. Beyond that, fresh peas, asparagus, and a few mushrooms were added, with a splash of white wine to round out the dish. And just to make sure that they didn’t get “lost”, I grilled the scapes and asparagus spears before adding them to the pasta. Then, after adding a sprinkle of cheese, dinner was served.

And to my fellow Americans, have a happy and safe 4th of July.

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Farmers Market Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb (340 g) cooked trenette — any “ribbon” pasta can be used
  • 6 to 9 garlic scapes
  • 9 to 12 asparagus spears
  • 3 oz (113 g) guanciale, chopped — pancetta, prosciutto, bacon, or ham can be used
  • dried peperoncini (optional)
  • 1/2 lb ( 227 g) fresh peas
  • 8 to 12 small mushrooms, halved or quartered depending upon size
  • white wine
  • salt & pepper
  • Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, for serving — Parmigiano Reggiano can be substituted.

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Directions

  1. Clean and heat the barbecue or grill pan
  2. Lightly coat scapes and asparagus with olive oil
  3. Place the scapes and asparagus atop the hot grill surface. Cook each vegetable to your liking before removing from heat. When cool, roughly chop both vegetables.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
  5. Add the guanciale to a large frying pan over med-high heat. Continue to cook until the fat has rendered and the guanciale is not quite fully cooked.
  6. Crumble the dried peperoncini by hand before adding to the pan.
  7. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for a few minutes.
  8. Lower the heat to medium, add a couple of ounces of wine and the peas. Continue to sauté.
  9. Time the pasta to be just shy of al dente at about the time that the peas are cooked to your satisfaction.
  10. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water, and add the pasta to the frying pan.
  11. Add the chopped scapes and asparagus, mix well, and continue to cook until the pasta has reached al dente. Add pasta water if the pan’s contents are too dry.
  12. Remove to a serving platter, garnish with grated cheese, and serve.

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Notes

Be careful not to use too much guanciale. If you do, the taste will become predominant and you’ll be unable to taste much else. I’ve made that mistake and although it is still a very flavorful pasta, it’s also a waste of garlic scapes.

I like a little heat in the dish so I crumbled 2 dried peperoncini that came from the heart of Italy’s peperoncini region, Calabria. You could easily substitute red pepper flakes or skip them entirely, if you like.

Before using the scapes, I trim an inch or two off the bottom of each scape and, because they can get hard and unpalatable when grilled, I trim off each top just above the flower bulge.

I used 3/4 lbs. of trenette pasta because that’s the amount of dough I had left over when I made last week’s ravioli. Use as much, or as little, pasta as you like. The same holds true for the rest of the ingredients.

As the Summer progresses  the ingredients will change to include broccoli, chard, cauliflower, and/or whatever else catches my eye as I walk around the market. You can and should do the same with your pasta primavera.

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A word about the pasta …

I have an attachment for my pasta machine that will cut trenette pasta. Used throughout Genoa and Liguria, trenette — not to be confused with trennette — are one of the flat, “ribbon” pastas, this one being about “a silly millimeter thinner” than linguine. Although trenette is traditionally dressed with Pesto Genovese, I like the pasta because it most closely resembles the pasta Mom & Zia cut by hand when I was a boy. I can almost hear Mom’s knife as she quickly cut the rolled sheet of pasta, sfoglia, all the while having a conversation with whomever was in the room or seated at the table. The speed of that blade was truly a marvel, at a rate easily 5 or 6 times my best. And the noodles were all uniformly cut, something I cannot do even when working at a snail’s pace. So I cheated. I bought myself a trenette pasta machine attachment — and one for Zia — and now we can enjoy a dish of pasta just like back in the day.

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Cheaters do prosper sometimes …

When this year’s seedlings didn’t fare so well, I bought heirloom tomato plants from the farmers market. Lo and behold! For the first time in years, I’ll be eating home-grown  tomatoes, even if only the tiniest of cherries, on the 4th of July.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Lucky for us, all is not vegetable at the markets. We are now in cherry season and this year I’m twice blessed. Not only are Michigan’s tart cherries hitting the markets but I’ve a friend that surprised me with enough cherries to make a fantastic pie. Now, I can eat sweet Bing cherries by the fistful but these tart red beauties are meant for pies, muffins, and jam.  Pictured on the right is a bit of the pie I made with my friend’s gift. You can see the recipe I followed by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Rack of Spring Lamb

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Asparagus, Crimini Mushroom, and Ricotta Ravioli Filling

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Yes, it’s another ravioli filling recipe, though not the one I had originally intended to post. Today’s filling recipe was to include ramps, a dish Zia and I developed during my last visit home. Well, ramp season has passed and I doubt that any of the wild onions are to be found anywhere. Asparagus, on the other hand, is still around, though it’s numbers have greatly decreased over the last 2 weekends. (The ramps post is written and will be published soon.) Seeing that asparagus season is also fleeting, I thought it best to post a recipe using the spears now, while you can still get some that are locally grown. In fact, all 3 recipes presented in today’s post will take advantage of the current harvest. The “Déjà vu” recipe will feature strawberries, while “Coming soon” is a pasta recipe that includes a number of fresh ingredients. 

Today’s post will only detail how to make asparagus ravioli filling. If you’re interested in seeing how to use ravioli molds/dies to create the stuffed pasta pillows, you can see step-by-step instructions by clicking HERE. For serving suggestions, see Notes below.

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Asparagus, Crimini Mushroom, & Ricotta Ravioli Filling Recipe

Yield: See Notes below. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 8 oz (228 g) fresh asparagus, chopped
  • 8 oz (228 g) fresh crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 oz (86 g) Spring onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper
  • 3/4 cup (12 oz, 340 g) ricotta, well-drained
  • 1/2 cup Pecorino Roman cheese, grated

Directions

  1. Clean and roughly chop the asparagus (see Notes), mushrooms, onion, & garlic
  2. Heat olive oil and butter over med-high heat. Add asparagus, mushroom, and onion, lower heat to medium, and sauté until mixture just begins to change color — about 6 or 7 minutes.
  3. Add garlic, salt, and pepper, and continue to sauté until liquids are gone. Do not allow to burn.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully before proceeding.
  5. If using a food processor:
    1. Place the asparagus mixture into the processor, add the ricotta and Romano cheeses, and process until uniformly smooth.
  6. If not using a food processor:
    1. Chop the asparagus mixture as finely as possible.
    2. Add the cheeses and stir to thoroughly combine.
  7. Filling may now be used with your favorite stuffed pasta recipe.

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Notes

Using this recipe and my large, 2 inch (5 cm), ravioli die/mold , I made 90 ravioli. You might make more or less, depending upon the size of the die or stamp used.

Whether you use homemade or store-bought ricotta, place the cheese in a clean coffee filter, where it can drain for at least a few hours to remove the excess liquid.  The drier the better. 

You can serve your asparagus ravioli in a number of ways. I’ve found that a brown butter and sage sauce works very well, as do cream and “light” tomato sauces. For those who really enjoy asparagus, simply sauté a few chopped asparagus spears in butter and use that to dress freshly cooked ravioli. A bit of lemon zest on top works very well. In all the examples given, grated cheese should be sprinkled atop the dressed ravioli.

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Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

I’ve made this and a couple other ravioli fillings over the course of the past couple of  months and it gave me an opportunity to experiment with a few things.

  1. All Purpose V Double 0 Flour. Last Fall I, finally, located a source for “00” flour, doppio 0. This is the finely ground durum flour used to make pasta and pizza dough in Italy. Although it’s roughly twice as expensive as AP flour, both Zia and I agree that using it creates pasta dough with a great feel. When cooked al dente, the pasta has a good bite, just as it should, and I’ll continue to buy and use it. Decisions have consequences, however, and I now have yet another container of flour in my kitchen. For those keeping track, that makes  6 — AP, bread, wheat, spelt, semolina, and now 00.  
  2. Attachment V Ravioli Die/Mold. I decided to pull out the KitchenAid ravioli maker and give it another shot. In the past I’ve found it less than perfect and, frankly, more trouble than it’s worth. All along, I thought that the fault may lie with the fillings I used, that the attachment would work best if a softer filling was in the hopper. Today’s asparagus ravioli filling was used to test my theory. I must admit that the ravioli maker worked better than it ever has and waste — which was a big problem with earlier trials — was minimal. Even if a bit cumbersome to operate, probably due to my inexperience, it did produce row after row of perfect ravioli. All’s not well, though. In order to get perfect ravioli, the dough sheets must be thick, more than double the thickness that we normally would use. That means you need to make at least twice the amount of pasta dough than would normally be required when using ravioli molds/dies. It, also, means the ratio of filling to pasta is different from the ravioli to which I’m accustomed. (Yes, my generation of Bartolini are a spoiled lot.)  In short, the ravioli attachment is back on the shelf, waiting for me to give it another go, probably in 2015 sometime.
  3. Chicken V Duck Eggs. Recently, while waiting to buy eggs at the farmers market, the customer before me bought a half-dozen duck eggs. Prior to this, I thought they were only sold by the dozen. So, I 86’ed the chicken and went duck. A couple of days later, I used them to make the pasta dough used in the ravioli pictured throughout this post. For those unfamiliar, Mom’s pasta dough recipe calls for 4 eggs and enough water to make a cup of liquid. Because they’re larger, only 3 duck eggs plus less than a tbsp of water will yield the required cup of liquid. Once made, the dough was much more yellow than normal but, to be fair, that may be due to the eggs’ freshness more than anything else. As for taste, I really could not detect a difference but, then again, without side-by-side taste tests, I should really say that I don’t “remember” a difference. Given that duck eggs are twice the price of chicken eggs, I’m not sure that I’ll be a regular customer for them anytime soon.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

As was mentioned, we’re just about at the end of asparagus season here in the Chicago area. The tables upon tables of the tasty spears have been replaced — by strawberries! Pictured on the right is just one vendor’s berries at the Evanston farmers market. Believe me, there are many more and I defy anyone, save those with allergies, to walk around that market without buying at least one quart. So, what will you do with these sweet & juicy red gems? Why, make strawberry jam, of course! You can see Mom’s recipe by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Farmers Market Pasta

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The Bartolini Have Hit The Road!

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Going for a Ride

If there’s one thing we Bartolini enjoy as much as a dish of pasta, it’s a good old-fashioned road trip. So, when one such opportunity presented itself, I shut down the Kitchens, packed up the car, and headed out — to Washington D.C.

Now, I just didn’t pick D.C. as a destination out of thin air. No, the Kitchens’ good buddy and fellow blogger, Jed, recently invited me to guest host at his blog, sports-glutton.com. There he leads a team of sportswriters that covers the world of sports, offering ego-free commentary and well-reasoned conclusions. With every post, each of these gentlemen offers true insight into his respective field of expertise. Sounds pretty good, huh? Yeah? Well, wait! There’s more.

Jed and his wife, Liz, share recipes that are sure to appeal to the latent glutton in each of us. From appetizers to desserts, and all dishes in-between, these two know their way around a stove — and campfire.  And just when you think sports-glutton.com couldn’t get any better, Thursday arrives. That’s the day that Jed reviews, one bottle at a time, a wide variety of beer and wine. Whether you’re in the mood for a Japanese ale or a Chilean Pinot Noir, not to mention a Wyoming micro brew or whiskey from Utah, this is the place to check before you go shopping for spirits.  Drat! I’ve gotten ahead of myself. You see, every Monday Jed starts off the week with a bit of humor. Think of it as you would a refreshing sorbet, preparing you for his posts to come.

How’s that for a blog? There’s quite literally something for everyone.

So, as you can well imagine, when asked to take part in his  MLB Recipe Series, I could hardly refuse the honor and jumped at the chance. Now, for the uninformed, every Wednesday of the Major League Baseball season, Jed celebrates a different team by offering a recipe that, in some way, is connected to that team. Being a Cubs fan, I contributed my recipe for Jack Brickhouse Chicken, for reasons that will become clear when you follow me to Jed’s place by clicking here to read my guest post. Once you’ve checked out my recipe, be sure to take a look around. You’re sure to find something of interest.

Thanks, Jed, for the honor of participating in your series, allowing me to share a recipe commemorating our Cubs. One of these years …

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Regular programming will resume at the Bartolini Kitchens next week, once I figure out a way to explain to Max that we’re not really going anywhere.

Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Asparagus Ravioli made with Duck Egg Pasta

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Baked Haddock

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Eglefini al Forno

Today’s recipe once again calls upon my family’s breading mixture to keep the fish fillet moist as it adds flavor to the dish. There really is no need for me to explain the breading much more than that for fear of boring you to tears. And I wish I had a great story to tell about haddock but, the truth is, I had originally planned to use baccalà for this post. Then I saw fresh haddock on sale and, well, that piece of salted cod will be used to make a fine salad.

Haddock is a popular fish on both sides of the Atlantic. Having once been over-fished, its numbers have increased and it is now considered a success story here in the US. In our Northeast, specifically the Boston area, young haddock may also be called scrod. That’s a bit of a misnomer, however, because that name is used for both young cod and young haddock. Needless to say, haddock is very similar to cod in both taste and texture, with haddock having a slightly stronger flavor. Like cod, it flakes when cooked so be careful if you try to grill haddock. If you do, it’s probably best to use a grilling basket.

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As I’ve mentioned in other posts, this breading mixture is used in a number of the Bartolini dishes. To be honest, I never realized how many until I started documenting my family’s recipes. Depending upon its use, it can be more/less moist and with/out lemon juice. Combine bread crumbs, diced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, and salt & pepper in a bowl. In this case, I used the juice of a half-lemon and then enough olive oil to moisten the mixture but not to the point that it’s sopping wet. How much of each ingredient you need will depend upon how many fillets there are to cook and whether you’ve plans for the excess breading. (See Notes.) Under normal circumstances, you’ll want enough breading to adequately cover each fillet, as well as to form a thin layer underneath each piece of fish so that there’s little chance of it sticking while baking. And what if you make too much? Spread it on the baking dish/sheet and roast it along with the fish. Excess breading can be frozen for later use with pasta.

Once the fillets have been breaded and placed on a baking sheet, place them in the center of a pre-heated 375˚ (190˚ C) oven. Your fish should be ready in about 15 minutes, maybe 20 depending upon the thickness of the pieces.  Haddock fillets will be opaque white and flake easily when fully cooked, very much like cod. Remove the baked fillets to a serving dish, garnish will lemons slices, and serve. In the photo, the haddock was accompanied by sautéed artichokes.

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Notes

Normally, my family would only put a small amount of bread crumbs under the fish to prevent the fillets from sticking while baking. Here I placed the haddock on a bed that was about 1/3 inch (.85 cm) thick because I had use for those bread crumbs. Once the fish was removed to a serving platter, I used the now-roasted bread crumbs left on the baking sheet to garnish a side dish of pasta aglio e olio instead of cheese.

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An Update

I telephoned a 5th company today to inquire about getting the vine removed. Within an hour, they were here and removed the vine within the next hour. They will be back to haul it away at the end of the week. The only real damage sustained was to a single rosebush but it is early enough in the season that it should recover without a problem. Thank you all for your concern and well-wishes.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Though the weather may not be cooperating, it is definitely grilling season here in the US & Canada. If you’re at all like me, a burger just isn’t a burger if there aren’t pickles on top. Now, as much as I love a good kosher dill, for my burgers and sandwiches, I crave Bread & Butter pickles. Easier to make than you might think, my original recipe didn’t require canning and the pickles were stored in the refrigerator. I’ve since added instructions for canning them. Either way, I think you’ll agree that a few of these tasty slices is the only way to top a burger. Click HERE to learn how to make these great tasting pickles.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

“Jack BRICKhouse CHICKEN”

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What I did on my Spring Vacation. (The short answer: I ate.)

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Formal introductions are forthcoming

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Home again! 

After an all-too-brief visit, Lucy, Max, and I returned home to find things not quite the way we left them. (More about that later.) My time spent with Zia was wonderful, though the weather, much like that area’s like the internet service, wasn’t at all cooperative. One had me wishing I’d brought my Winter coat and the other had me seriously considering driving the 30 miles to get access to free WiFi at the nearest McDonald’s. As a result, there were no walks on the beach with Max and I only showed Zia a couple of your blog posts. I couldn’t get them to load on my iPad and this was the first time I brought my iPhone to Michigan. My experience with WP on the device is really quite limited. Even so, I wouldn’t necessarily consider an iPhone’s displays “Zia friendly” and I did much of my reading alone. And before anyone thinks I’m picking on my Cara Zia, I wouldn’t call the displays “John friendly” either. You should have seen me trying to “Pin” or “Like” one of your posts. (I don’t know how you do it, Eva!)

You may be wondering, with it cold and damp when it wasn’t flat-out raining, what does one do in rural Michigan? Well, I can’t speak for others but we cooked … and we cooked … and we cooked again. True, I did take my daily walk looking for morel mushrooms and ramps but returned home empty-handed each time. (Not to worry, I came prepared.) So, with several great meals prepared and, as the title suggests, devoured, I thought I’d share a couple of the recipes today, with a promise to post the rest in the weeks to come.

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I can count on two things whenever I arrive at Zia’s home. Once I’ve unpacked the car, there will be a Manhattan waiting for me. (Zia is the original “Hostess with the Mostest”.) With my thirst quaffed, Zia will then get to work on the traditional Bartolini risotto.

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Made with fresh mushrooms and chicken gizzards, this dish has long been a family favorite. In fact, there were relatives that traveled hundreds of miles and, upon each and every arrival, asked for a risotto dinner. Of course, not everyone likes chicken gizzards, so, just tell them that the offending bits are nothing but a few dried mushrooms. More about that, and the risotto recipe, will be shared in a future post.

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Although most lunches were simple sandwiches made with the Italian lunch meats and bread I brought with me, there were 2 notable exceptions. On Sunday, like always, we had brunch after Mass with a few of Zia’s neighbors and fellow choir members. (Yes, Zia is a member of her church’s choir.) The 2nd time was when I prepared Asparagus in the style of Milan, Asparagi alla Milanese.

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There will be no future recipe for this dish because it is so very simple to prepare. Season fresh asparagus spears with salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Place the spears on a heated barbecue, hot grill pan, or baking sheet that’s placed in a hot (425˚ F, 218˚ C) oven. Meanwhile, fry an egg or two per serving and season with salt & pepper. If, like us, you like your yolks runny, the eggs should be prepared sunny-side up or over easy. And that’s it. When both the asparagus and eggs are cooked to your liking, arrange a serving of asparagus spears on a dinner plate, place the eggs on top, and, if you like, garnish with a bit of grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It couldn’t be easier but it sure is a great tasting light lunch or fantastic primo piatto.

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Now, we just didn’t spend all of our time eating lunch. We did work for our suppers, too. In fact, Zia’s pasta board got quite a bit of use over the course of my visit. One day, we made ravioli and linguine.

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Using a filling of ramps, fresh spinach, and goat’s cheese, Zia and I spent the afternoon making pasta pillows. That night, we feasted on these very same ravioli, prepared with morel mushrooms in a white wine sauce.

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Those recipes will be coming your way.

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Another day brought out the pasta board again and we spent the afternoon making gnocchi.

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That night’s dinner was probably the best of my entire visit. Our primo piatto was gnocchi dressed in a rich gorgonzola cream sauce.

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That night’s secondo was grilled rack of Spring lamb, while contorni of grilled asparagus and a tossed salad rounded out the meal.

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Later that night, I surprised Zia with cannoli that I’d brought from my Italian market. Recipes for the gnocchi, gorgonzola cream sauce, and lamb will soon be posted, too.

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Lastly, I could hardly go home for a visit without bringing something from the fish monger. This visit I brought whiting, merluzzo, with me.

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Rather than risk ruining them on a grill with which I’ve had little experience, these little fishies were prepared with the Bartolini breading mixture and baked, with excess breading mixture placed on the baking sheet, roasted, and used to garnish a platter of hand-cut linguine aglio e olio with baby artichokes, spinach, and ramps. The merluzzo recipe was already shared HERE. 

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To make the pasta dish, place 1/3 cup olive oil in a hot pan over med-high heat. Add red pepper flakes, to taste, along with chopped ramps. Sauté till ramps are soft, add 2 to 4 bulbs of diced Spring or new garlic, and continue cooking for another minute. Add the trimmed and quartered fresh artichokes, a half cup of white wine, bring to a boil, and reduce to a soft simmer. Allow the artichokes to braise until soft and the sauce has reduced, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta until two minutes shy of package directions or, if using fresh, until the pasta is a bit firmer to the bite than your prefer. Reserve a cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and add to the frying pan along with  a handful or two of fresh spinach. Toss to coat the pasta and continue to sauté the pan’s contents until the pasta is cooked to your liking, adding pasta water as needed to maintain the sauce. To serve, garnish with breading mixture that remains on the baking sheet that was used to roast the merluzzo. Of course, if merluzzo isn’t on that night’s menu, your pasta may be garnished with grated cheese or bread crumbs toasted in a bit of olive oil.

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So, there you have it. We cooked, we chatted, we worked out the kinks in a recipe or two, and we spent a very nice time together. And, best of all, there are recipes to share for anyone that’s interested. Would that I could end this post here and now but, alas, there’s a bit more to tell.

Late on the night of my arrival in Michigan, I received a telephone call telling me of some storm damage at my home. Thankfully no one was hurt and there wasn’t any structural damage. Since a picture is worth a thousand words and our friend Celi has challenged us all to post a view from our back porches, here’s mine.

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"This is as close to indoor plumbing as I'm ever going to get!"

With the exception of a potted palm that died under the most suspicious of circumstances in the living room, this is about as close to indoor plumbing as Max will ever get.

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That green thing is not some prop from a 50’s sci-fi thriller. It’s a trumpet vine that the wind knocked down, blocking the path to the garage and alley, not to mention landing atop a few roses. (Hopefully the dog run’s fence took the brunt of the force from the falling vine.) Here’s the view from the porch landing above.

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Believe it or not, buried within that tangled mess are the remnants of a wooden trellis.

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As you can see, mine is a typical city yard here in Chicago, made even smaller because of the 2 car garage and dog run … um … and the now-fallen vine. As of this writing, I’m waiting to hear from a few landscapers for bids to remove the vine and haul it away. On the plus side, once it’s removed, there’ll be space for a clematis vine and another rose.

The Kitchens are open again, with a new recipe, Baked Haddock, coming this Wednesday.

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Porcini Mushroom, Leek, and Goat Cheese Ravioli Filling

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Last week I demonstrated how easy it is to make ravioli, tortelloni, and manicotti using wonton wrappers. Now that you know what to do with the wrappers, today I’ll show you how to make a filling.

Given the stated purpose of these two posts, it wouldn’t make much sense to use a filling that was overly complicated to prepare or that required a dozen ingredients. Using only dried porcini mushrooms, leeks, garlic, and goat cheese, this filling could not be easier to make and yet packs a great deal of flavor into each pasta. With the longest step in the process being the wait for the mushroom-leek mixture to cool after being sautéed, you can easily make enough wonton wrapper ravioli in an afternoon for that evening’s dinner. Yes, you can do this.

Thursday I’ll be leaving for Michigan, where the Dial-Up Modem is King. As a result, the Kitchens must close temporarily and there can be no post next Wednesday. My next entry is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5th.

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Porcini Mushroom, Leek, & Goat Cheese Ravioli Filling Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • .7 oz (20 g) dried porcini mushrooms
  • 3 oz (85 g) leeks, chopped fine
  • 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
  • 10.5 oz (298 g) goat cheese
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper

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Directions

  1. Bring 2 cups of water to boil, remove from heat, and add mushrooms. Allow mushrooms to soak for at least 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms to paper towels, being careful not to disturb sediments in liquid. (Reserve mushroom liquid. See Notes.) Use another paper towel to blot the mushrooms dry before chopping them to a small dice. Put aside.
  2. Heat olive oil and butter over med-high heat. Add leeks and mushrooms, lower heat to medium, and sauté until mixture just begins to change color — about 6 or 7 minutes.
  3. Add garlic, salt, and pepper, and continue to sauté until liquids are gone. Do not allow to burn.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully before proceeding.
  5. Once cooled, combine mushroom-leek mixture with goat cheese and stir to thoroughly combine.
  6. Filling may now be used to fill you favorite pasta.

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Variations

This recipe is not set in stone. Don’t have any leeks? Use half the amount listed in sweet onions. Don’t like goat cheese? Use ricotta. No porcini? Use 3 to 4 oz (85 to 113 g) fresh crimini mushrooms. Don’t like this filling at all? Don’t worry. You may prefer to use either of these 2 fillings: the traditional Bartolini ravioli filling or the Bartolini sausage ravioli filling. Still not quite what you’re looking for? In a few weeks I’ll be posting an asparagus-based filling recipe.

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Notes

There’s really no way of determining how much pasta you’ll be able to fill with today’s recipe. That will depend upon the type and size of the pasta you wish to make. Because of this, I wouldn’t invite 10 guests to dinner the first time you make a homemade stuffed pasta, whether or not you use wonton wrappers. Better to wait until your 2nd attempt or at least wait to make your guest list until after the pasta is made.

When making this filling, I allowed the goat cheese to warm a bit so that it would be easier to combine with the other ingredients. Depending upon the pasta to be filled, you may find it easier to chill it again before using it to stuff your pasta.

Do not discard the liquid used to rehydrate the porcini mushrooms. Once the sediments have settled, pour off the liquid, leaving those sediments behind. The liquid can then be stored/frozen for later use in soups, sauces, risotto, or pasta dishes, to name a few.

Although you can use any sauce yo wish to dress pasta using this filling, I chose to, again, keep it simple. Once it was cooked and drained, I gently tossed the raviolo in some melted butter and garnished it with flaked Parmesan cheese, as seen in this post’s opening photo.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

BBQ Shrimp

Gamberetti alla Griglia

This weekend is a 3-day weekend and start of the grilling season. I thought it only fitting to feature Grandpa’s Barbecued Shrimp as this week’s blast from the past. Easy to prepare, whether you serve them as a snack, appetizer, or main course, you and your guests will love them. You can learn how Grandpa did it by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Baked Haddock

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